NAIC! The Shambles, Lug, Gardy, Bolt, Pult, and more!

Liam is scrambling! Here is the current thought process with theory god Abaan Ahmed. 

Transcript

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 0:05

Welcome to the Trash O Lance podcast. Attendance is 66%. It is me, William Halliburton, and Avon the Goat.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 0:14

No delay this time. We fixed our shit. So if you guys listen last week, it'll be way better this week.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 0:20

yeah, we set the goal. Yeah, this is this is gonna be the NAIC pod. Give our last minute thoughts on the the meta. I am currently scrambling right now. I have zero clue what I'm gonna play. A lot of, a lot of it's going to come down to Thursday. And I'll just be trying to run as many games as possible over the next three days. I fly out tomorrow on Wednesday and see what happens from there. I'm definitely not playing Guardi but aside from that there's not, I really don't have any strong feelings about anything.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 0:49

I'm not actually going to NAIC, but I've been obsessively thinking about NAIC anyways. I thought not signing up for the tournament would make it so I could like focus on school, but I'll be sitting in class still or like study literally sitting in the library studying and thinking about like the Pidget Techs. So I got the sauce for you guys this week, you know. Not too much, but

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:07

bro's running through all the theory.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:09

Yeah, I have so much theory. I don't play games anymore. I just think.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:11

Alright for NAIC, let's start on the predicted meta. The big four are obviously Raging Bolt, Gauri, Lugia, Dragapult. I think Abhan and I agree on that. Abhan, what is your meta prediction for Metashare's role for those decks?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:26

I don't, I didn't like ever write down any percentages, but I actually think there's like two decks that are cut above. I think Lugia and Garde, as far as like what I can tell from like listening to people talk about the format, and just my own like theory on it. Like it just seems like Lugia and Garde are way better than the other two, because Dragapult, Tord, like, fixed Dragapult. Like, if you've, like, seen any of the new, like, Tord lists, they actually, like, work. Like, all the Dragapult lists before it's like, oh, you're not even attacking on turn 2 or 3, like, okay, I'm just gonna roll you. So, like, Dragapult should probably be, like, up, but man, Raging Bolt is so fraudulent, dude. That deck, it works, but it's like old Roaring Moon. Like, you literally just, you do the thing every game, but then if they ha their deck, like, has a plan that they can, like, solitaire, they're just gonna own you. I think that deck is The worst of the four, but it'll probably be actually more played than Dragapult. It'll be like, one is probably gonna be Lugia, two Guardi, three Braging Bolt, four Dragapult. But that's not the order of like, skill, that's just the order of like, what people are gonna play.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 2:24

I, I think I agree with that. Do, do you think Lugia clears 15%? Or no, for day one?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 2:29

I think so. That deck is so obviously gas. Like, people have the worst lists ever, but then they just like, run hot in their testing games, and they're just in, right? Like, they're playing like, the four of Forge and Chino.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 2:39

That's actually so funny, but yeah, I, I, I think I agree with, with all of that. The, the only thing I disagree with from earlier, Samuel, is you said Garde was going to be second. I think, from what I've seen on Garde in the past, is like, Garde, Garde's a difficult deck to fight. It's not something a lot of like you know, the, the masses attending NAIC I think will gravitate towards. I think it's more more something that, like like, like the stronger players who, who, like, play this game a lot are gravitating towards. While, while, while the masses, like, generally do not gravitate towards Guardi,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 3:07

say that there's like, a tier of player that isn't like, top top, but it's like, pretty solid. And I think they're all playing Guardi. Like, anyone?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 3:16

I completely agree. Those are the only people playing Guardian, I think, at the tournament. But I don't think, I don't think that that player base is, like, actually that large. I think it's, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 3:23

It's just people we know, so it feels larger?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 3:25

like, two hundred players. Yeah, exactly. That's, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 3:29

But they all love Guardi. Anyone who's like, not correct?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 3:32

they're all playing Guardi. Yeah. I like, I don't think any of the really good players are gonna be playing Guardi. I don't think any of the really bad players are gonna be playing Guardi. It's like those people in the middle, those are gonna be like all a hundred percent Guardi.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 3:44

I will say, have you played the New Guardian ever? Because I have played like, even 10 games and I was like, this deck is c like, you don't even have to scratch the surface of what's possible for you to think it's cracked, right? Because Monkey Dory, putting your stuff on odds, like, having more reach with just Bravery Charm, like, the deck already, it feels like, abundantly more powerful, and like, if you're not playing against people who are punishing correctly, like, killing the monkey at good times, or just like, playing around your damage range, or like, Pressuring bravery charms, like, it's, it makes it feel, like, deceptively too powerful. I don't actually think it's as good as, like, that, like, band of players say it is, but, it's, it has a lot more to it than Old Guardie did, at least, with Monkey.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 4:23

yeah, no, I, I think, I think Gardy last format was like, yeah. Just like completely fraudulent. So, so this gardy is better. I think it's, I think it's a solid deck. But I, I, I don't think, I, I didn't get that impression at all. I still felt the the absolutely brutal decisions you have to make with Arvan and Irida turn one if you don't get, like, a goaded hand. I think it's, it's always very disappointing when you're playing a deck and when you open with just your draw supporter. This is not a good hand. You basically open, like, Raut's Arven, and you're like, Jesus, dude, I'm about to get, like, blown off the board. Like, Turn 2 Catcher, or, like even my, like, Raging Bolt, bro, like, Turn 2 Catcher, and you have, like, one Curlia in your hands, nothing, like, It does it does not feel good. Like, you probably win that scenario just because Raging Bolt is, like, so bad, you uptrade from so far behind, but, like, yeah, it does not feel good when your deck doesn't work off of just the just the, like, just opening Draw Supporter. Mike, the, the one thing he wanted us to get out on the pod, thinks he can fix that by playing Irida and Hyper Aroma. I, I think, I think it's just way too slow. I, I see the consistency value, but I also suspect that most of Mike's testing has been done on the TCG Live ladder, where players have, you know, they make their decks malfunction, and of course in that situation, valuing, like, getting as many basic downturn one as possible, and just not losing. will always win you the game, and it makes sense, but I think if you're, if you're being tested, like, even a little bit above the TCG Live ladder testing it doesn't hold up like, other decks are just too fast.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 5:57

I have, like, a little secret from Mike, you know? If you actually went on the PTCG Live ladder and played Raging Bolt and just hit them in the face for 350 consistently every single game, you'll win, like, almost every game. Their decks just don't work. So,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 6:09

right, it wins so many games on that, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 6:13

I think my

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 6:14

people are like

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 6:15

Oh. I was gonna say, like, my issue with Guardi too is, like, the deck, like It just clunks on itself, lowkey, like, it's not even about, like, turn one, right? Like, sometimes you'll just, in the middle of the game, just not be able to play. Like, out of nowhere, you're like, oh, I don't just, I just don't have Guardi EX, like, okay.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 6:32

Dude, I, like, that turn 3 hit is actually so

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 6:37

Yeah, yeah, actually,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 6:39

like, make it sound. Like, you have turn 1 consistency issues, but even if you hit, like, a god set of turn 1, the turn 3 hit is super difficult. You, like, you need, like you need, like, multiple psychic energy. And the Gardevoir EX, and then like, for most Masters you need like, Attacker, like, either Bravery Charm, Basic and like, against Lugia, that's pretty prominent, like, you need E Hammer as well, sometimes like, Unfair Stamp, like, you just have to find so much stuff, and you like, and the Curlias are also your like, primary way of discarding cards, because you don't play any discard supporters, so you just like, If you don't open with the energy in your hand, use all your Curlias to draw into the energy, but then you can't dump them, and you miss attacks. Like, it, it, it's just so brutal to play, that like, it feels, it feels terrible. Yeah, I'm not playing Guardian. I'm not playing Guardian.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 7:30

yeah, I, I think there's a reason why I put Lugia above all of that. I think Lugia is just, is the only, like, real, Legit deck, like of the hyped decks. I think Pult is pretty good too, like the new list of Pult. Those are that's good too, but like I think Bolt and I think Guardi is good, but it's definitely it's like not at the level that people are talking about, so it's like, I don't know, to me just like, if I was going to this tournament, and I was like banned from playing Pidget for some reason, I think I just have to rip Lugia. And if I was playing Lugia, by the way, I've come around to your line of thinking. Ogre Pawn is trash. If I already have the Lugia, man, I would rather use any other attacker, right? Why am I, like, why do I need to cheese you? I have my two chops out on turn two, I'm just gonna hit you with, like, the good stuff. I don't need to, like, gimp you. It's fine, we'll play. We'll play a normal

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 8:17

I Yeah, I think I think the Ogrepon The Ogrepon is, like, honestly really bad in Lugia. Or like, it's really anti synergistic. This is something I've been preaching the last few days. Like, one thing people don't talk a lot about is, like, if it doesn't wreck the opponent's setup, you, like, always lose. Because Archeops needs energy in play to protect itself, and when you shuffle everything back, you leave yourself without energy on board, And then your Archeops dies, and you just instantly lose, because like, you just cannot get ahead on attachments. And yeah, that's just like, brutal. Like it, it doesn't even, when you're cheesing your opponent, you still open up like, weaknesses and avenues for your opponent to win, if it's not like, the absolute giga cheese, where they just like, cannot play the game after that.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 9:04

You know when I knew it was

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 9:05

yeah, I really don't like Ogre Pawn.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 9:07

Someone used Ogre Pawn against me at a local when I was playing Pidget, and I s I was like, Okay, and then I just like, the enemies are gone, and I just, I didn't even have Pidget, I I went for the sauce, I went for the Lux or EX, killed the chops, and I was like, Wait, I don't even need Pidget, you've actually just ruined the game, like, on your

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 9:23

Yeah. Yeah, dude, like, they just, they lose all their energies, and it's so brutal. I think, now I do, I do want somebody to play Ogre Pawn to instill fear into the

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 9:36

Implied Ogre Pawn, and you're,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 9:38

Yeah, exactly. But I, I would,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 9:42

Watching a Guardi grab the Ralts, or sorry, a Manaphy instead of the third Ralts must be like the best feeling ever when you're playing Lugia with no Ogre Pawn.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 9:49

Yeah, for sure. The, the one issue I have with not playing the Ogre Pawn, though, is that You know, the, that group of Guardi players who are like, you know, it's the, it's the solid players. They're important players to beat. You really want to beat them. And they, I think a lot of them are moving everybody's on the Arden train now. Everybody who's going to play Guardi is on the Arden train. And, and the punish for that is, is of course playing the Ogre Pond, right? When they go, when their board is literally just like Curly a Curly or something in the active, like hitting the Ogre Pond that turn is like pretty big. And, and they should all be playing the Enhanced Samurai as well.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 10:24

I think the Rosanne's is cracked though, right? Like, why do we need Ogre Pawn? Can't we just Hands and then Enhance and Snipe around and use Rosanne and you're like, I'll bet I win.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 10:33

yeah, yeah, I mean, if you hit the Rosette and you, you like, you should be basically always winning. But, the Ogre Pawn certainly makes it easy, like, you hit the Rosette anymore, you just, you just win. Like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 10:43

you can afford to just use your,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 10:44

as long as you don't get swept,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 10:45

can like, afford to use second Lumi even to get Rosanne's because I think if the Hands comes out you just win the game, right? So like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 10:51

Yeah, yeah, no, like, once the hands is hitting, like, it's because unlike the Ogre Pawn, it's like an actual threat, they like, have to address it. So yeah, I, it's, it's totally fine, as long, if you take four prizes with the hands and they're basically taking one prize at that point, right? Like, their only win condition is trying to stop you from attacking you're in a really good spot, so I, playing for the hands is totally fine, I'm not joking, right?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 11:11

I also think the Lugia list, like the 3 3 Chinchino is just, it's like, annoying, because it's like, I wish I could tell anyone just playing a 3 3 Chinchino against me to like, just like, it's not good. Like, you're, you're beating me, like congrats, but like, it's, it's definitely not good.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 11:25

Yeah, dude, oh my god.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 11:27

like, they bench like double Chinchino, you kill one, and they just bench another one, you're like, bro, like, you're not supposed to have this, like, in your deck. Like, just take it out, please.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 11:35

I like, I, like I, you have to respect what Cino does. Like, of course, it, it, it isn't, you know it competes with hands. It's like the best attacker on Lu for sure. Yeah, for sure. Un un undo. Undoubtedly. I think it, it is

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 11:46

Blood Moon for the best attacker in Lugia. Blood Moon's a cra is like the craziest card in that deck.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 11:51

yeah, no blood moon is insane. But the, like, the, the swing on, on, on Han Encino is, is unmatched, right? Like the blood moon is a really, is the best way to swing even. The, the Han Encino give you insane UPT trade potential and Encino is like. A really insane attacker. There is nothing scarier than a Lugia that has somehow managed to bench, like, two Minccinos and still set up. That, like, that deck is super scary. It probably doesn't lose to anything at that point. But, like, that's the exact issue, which is, it's so hard to force the Minccino into play because the deck is so bench tight because you always want to bench blue minions and you're playing such a discard heavy draw engine that you also want to, like, pre bench attackers. Like, if you draw the Blood Moon early or you draw the hands early You sometimes want to pre bench those. Or, like, if you have to bench double Lugia or something like that, like, because you're a dump and draw engine, you sometimes have to drop stuff early, you want to drop Blue Minions, you of course have to have the double Archeops and so, yeah, like, finding bench space for the Tenchinos can be really hard, and you need multiple of them to, like, force them into play, and, Yeah, like, if you only have one, like, it doesn't, it doesn't do its job. Like, Dragapult or Zard bosses it, or like the Mirror, if they get it, either with the Ogre Pawn or the boss, like, all of that, like, it just didn't do anything. So you have to just, like, draw the absolute stones to get value out of the card. I don't, I don't love Chinchino. I think, I think the line should be thinner. Like, 3 3, you're basically committing to, like, yeah, I'm never gonna bench a Luminian, and I'm just gonna, like, keep dropping these things for, like, the entire game. And of course, you'll beat everything if you successfully do that, but, like, you already should be beating so much stuff, because the Legacy, the hands, and, like, Your first Cincinnos should be, should be trading so well. So I, I would be an advocate of a lighter Cincinno line at the bare minimum as well.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 13:35

I think the funny thing is, it's like, I feel like you and I think a lot similarly about a lot of like concepts in Pokemon, and the one thing that we've had, we've both been kind of preaching is like, you don't need to win the game, like, by like five prizes, you don't need to like, double Chinchino, they have no way to ever play the game, like you can, If you're winning every single game like a complete nail biter banger, but like, you have a gift energy, and like, it's almost certain that you're gonna win at the end, that's totally valid. And I feel like, Chinchino, like, when it works, it's like, wow, I just beat you by four prizes. I had two Chinchinos the whole time, you could never play, I just completely rolled you, like, I'm the best. But like, with Lugia, and the other thing about Chinchino, is like, lowkey, you can run out of energies just using Chinchino normally. Like, they don't even play Giacomo, they don't do anything, you just draw, like, a hand that's like Research 3 energies and then you like, have to attack with Lugia, then you attack with one Chinchino, and it's already looking like, really sketch. I like Blood Moon as an attacker in general, because it just Eases your energy counts a lot and like let's say something disastrous happened in the game You can just close with a Blood Moon. You can just close with that at the end and it's totally fine

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 14:38

Yeah, the, the blood man is super good for letting you play without the, the ops. That's why, that's why it feels like such a good attacker. Like you get so energy stretched. And yeah, like with the chinos, the chino numbers are so terrible too. Like the, the way it works with the DTEs is like, like you just always, every time you draw, you specifically the hand, when you talk, when you have the dump and draw supporter and, and like three single colorless energies, because then you look at your deck at the end of the game, it's like. Three single colorless and a DTE, and there's like, you know, some 280 thing in front of you. And you're just like, oh, I guess I like, never take a knock out of the rest of the game. Yeah, I, Chinchino feels like super awkward to play. I think it's, it's of course, it's very good. Like, there's an argument for it. It has merit. I, there's a decent chance I'd be playing a heavy Chinchino build to NAIC if I played Lugia. But it has some major drawbacks too that like, need to be acknowledged.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 15:31

Oh, what do you think about the supporter line? Cuz I am a big believer in this one car mean Just one. Like, I think it's fine that you have to be forced to go first sometimes, and then you're gonna, like, have specific hands where you need to, like, Lumi or Carmine. Fine. But I am I'm just not down with these four Carmine lists. I think it's trash, bro. The half way through the game, you're just playing a Carmine, and you're drawing five cards, and it feels like you just got, like, gimped. You're like, where's the other two cards? Like, what the hell? Like, unless it's turn one specifically, like, obviously. Like, I think you just need research, because you have no actual onboard draw. So, like, you just need to be seeing seven new cards all the time.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 16:07

Yeah, I, I think, I think your research is, it's much better. I like, I don't know, literally like, the Carmine Cope has to be insane because, like, Every time you draw that card, 99 percent of the time when you draw that card, it is not turn one going first.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 16:25

Yes, exactly!

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 16:26

see it, you have to just think to yourself, like, like, how do you tell yourself that right now, and every other time you see this card, the two cards is not worth whatever dream scenario you're getting on turn one, where like, you open Double Chops, Lumi, no, like, no Lugia V or something, like, You just have to, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 16:46

And still play one! Still play one for that

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 16:49

I, I, I think, I think the 1 is okay. It's like, I, I, I think you can just, like, accept going second in those situations. So I, I, I get the argument for 0, but I also, I, I also get it if people are kind of scared and want to play 1. Like, there definitely are some hands that benefit from Turn 1 Carmine, right? And so, yeah, if, if you're kind of scared of, like, seeing too many of those hands at NAIC, You know, go ahead and play one over Research, but like, you know, if you want to just go at it, like, I probably wouldn't be playing any and just, I'd just rip

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 17:21

mean, one thing I was I wanted your thoughts about because I'm like, not the biggest Lugia player, is like, what matchups do you even want to go first in?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 17:29

I go, I go first in, okay, it's a little, it's a little bit different now. I, I think you, you do actually go second against Garde. At the start of the format, when more of us were using Irita, going first was just like clearly better. But now I think you do want to go second against Gardi.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 17:43

I I I agree with you. I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 17:45

first, I think, against Raging Bolt. That's, the, the idea behind that is you get, if you, when you go second, they get turned, on their first attacking turn, they can boss because they're ahead in attachment. And the boss is their primary gust effect, or like, the easiest gust effect for them to access because they all play for view. So, like, they have, like, five more outs to boss, basically, turn one, whereas if you go second, or if you go first you force them to basically hit the Prime Catcher, or you get to play on one Lugia beat,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 18:16

mean, I have some I have some thoughts about that, though. Because my problem with going second or like, going second to or sorry, first in a Raging Bolt is always like, Dude, I swear Lugia is such a pile. At least when I get to go second, and I get a supporter, I can often like, jet the Mancino up, so like, that's a one price sack, and then not to mention, like, it's easier to get the double Lugia board, because you're right, it's, they are reliant on prime catcher or catchers, right? But when they hit it, they just win the game on the spot, when I'm going first, right? And like, I, I think you can win a lot of games where they hit the turn one boss because that means they've literally not solid yet the whole game and then like you're at four they're at four and you can maybe just bear them like I don't know it seems fine

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 18:57

I, I disagree, because I think they basically just, like, they, they, they, they, They're a really smooth engine. I think the rest of their game turns out pretty clean from there. And the issue is, like, when you go first, and I just scoop the games that they ripped, like Primecatcher, and I play off one Lugia B, because when you go second, if you ever bench Lumineon, you just, like, insta lose, because you have to bench two Lugia B turn one, and then, if they hit the boss, then they go, like, Primecatcher, Sata, Pal Pad, boss, and, like, they're just, they're way ahead in attachments, your guys are soft. It's

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 19:26

okay wait I haven't

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 19:27

just about hitting the gusts

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 19:28

I haven't played that much raging bull can they really go like turn one attach teal mask etc sure turn two boss knockout turn three when I put my legacy energy bear up they can actually boss around it and like they don't they have to solder that turn right like you Or like, I guess they can sod a Prime Catcher, and then next turn they're gonna hit a Patch Boss around it, like, I don't know, bro, like, I swear they do not have all those cards in sequence every time, and I would rather just go second.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 19:55

I found I could do it pretty,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 19:57

Oh, okay, my bad, I haven't tested that very much, so maybe they got it like that, my

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 20:00

yeah, I mean, they, they, dude, I am, I am pretty high on Raging Bolt, I think that deck is, that deck is really good at doing what it wants to do. I think it's like far better than like Roaring Moon last format, like, Roaring Moon last format, there was like Every turn, right, like there was a question of whether or not you were going to get turn one donked. Against Raging Bullets, if like, if, if you don't find like a second basic, like you might as well just scoop up your cards. That's like, it's basically 100 percent that they're just going to donk you. The deck is just like uber

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 20:28

way, it kinda, it reminds me of Arc Judge, where it's like, it just preys on the fact that Pokemon decks don't actually work at all, like, a lot of them don't, like, work under any pressure.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 20:40

Yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 20:41

My only question though is like, what is like, what are the item counts in that deck? Like Catchers, E Hammer, Vacuum, like Switches, like what do you think are kind of, like what's a good mix for you? Like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 20:50

E hammer is a never.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 20:52

never? Okay.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 20:53

Vax sometimes, I think Vax should see more play this weekend than indicated online. I think people like that, particularly because they're like, you know, terrified of those Guardian players. And It's, yeah, I mean, the switch counts are kind of what you'd expect. There's some question of, alright, there's basically like four slots that they play with, and it either goes to Pokemon catchers, bravery charms, or the bug catchers that,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 21:17

Bravery Charm sucks, that's the worst one, I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 21:19

Yeah, Consistency, Hyrule, or just like, yeah, being dumb and playing the bravery charm, right?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 21:23

Bravery Charm's just terrible though, in my opinion.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 21:25

I, dude, I,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 21:25

do anything.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 21:26

the Sandy Shocks, I think the Sandy Shocks is fine, it's like a fine include, but the people who are coping themselves into believing they're somehow gonna, like, fix their prize trade if they see a single prizer with the Sandy Shocks is like the funniest thing

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 21:39

that Sandy Shox? I thought you were talking about the EX. The EX is lit, I think the

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 21:42

No, no, no, the, the basic,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 21:45

that one's so bad, that's the worst card in the

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 21:46

I, like, if, if they have a single prizer, you just have to accept the fact that you've lost the game. Like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 21:54

you're going to this tournament, and

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 21:55

never beating that.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 21:56

if you're not playing Cornerstone, I think you're trolling. I think Cornerstone's like a really good card. Having them all while out, Nice. Having, like, did they put Cologne in their Czar check? Nice. And like, I think that just, I think it's just a reasonable card to play. I would play the Cornerstone for sure. No Thorin. Just play the Cornerstone and attach.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 22:14

is alright, oh well, that's probably, yeah, yeah, no I don't know, the cornerstone's like kind of awkward, but yeah, I, I think, I think for this tournament, it is the right call.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 22:21

You don't want to lose to random

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 22:23

try to test people a little. It's, yeah, exactly, right. I think,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 22:29

Cause even Guardi will have Mimikyu, right, some of the time. Like, you don't want to just lose.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 22:33

sometimes.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 22:34

But, it is awkward. I guess Guardi though, if they're Mimikyuing you, and you're just attaching to the cornerstone manually, you That's not the best look,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 22:42

Yeah, no, that's, that is not. That's, that's why I play the Sandy Chucks, I think, for the Mimikyu. I think, I think testing Zard a little bit is, like, maybe worthwhile. I think, I think Zard might actually, like It's definitely going to be low play, right? Nabhan, do you agree with that?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 22:54

Yeah, I think Zard is going to be low play rate, but I agree with you. There's a I thought about it the other day, a lot of potential there. Like, just classic

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 23:00

Yeah, I think it's going to overperform for sure from what it's getting right now. I think the matchup spread actually looks really, really good if you're able to fix the Dragapult matchup and the Pidgeot matchup. And both of, or Pidgeot less so, but the Dragonfolk matchup is definitely something you can fix. I, I think, I know Vaan is he, he just gave me a look there. I think the Pidgeot matchup is of course never fixable for any deck if you give Pidgeot the full range of tools. But if you're talking about specifically beating the one Pidgeot list that's like most popular, like the one that won back to back late nights, the James Kowalski list, all out Blitzle that list, I think you can easily craft a list to beat that, right? Like Pidgey, Pidgey is flexible, but like, if you take away the flexibility and it's only 60 cards, you can definitely

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 23:44

Yeah, I, I, I, I actually agree with that. Like, if you're trying to beat Pigeon as, like, a concept, it's too hard because at any point they can play, like, weird stuff and, like, like, we were playing Luxcape at one point, right? You're like, oh, I forgot to put second vacuum as one of my techs. Like, oops, like, I just lose now. But if you, if you know exactly what they're playing, then you don't have to beat, like, a, like, a concept. You just, like, literally look at their cards and just, like, add counts and, like, kind of slightly, just slightly get there against them, right?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 24:10

Yeah, exactly. So, so I think, I think all you have to do is really just beat the, the all out Blizzle list, because I, that, that's the only one people are running. Like, there's going to be a few, a few players, maybe, but yeah, like, there's going to be a few players who are on a different list. Like, Alessandro will be on a different list. His group will be on a different list. Of course. But, all of the, all of the other Pidgeot players will be on, like, basically just that same 60. For some reason, people are, like, changing the cards, and if they are changing the card, they're also making it worse. Like, like, the card will make no sense, and it will overlap completely, so if you're beating the base list, you should be able to beat the rest of it. So,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 24:47

I just have a side. I think people are just so terrible about building control. It like, it's kind of like, I mean, I don't want to like, be that guy who like, got one top 8 and now I'm like, the expert. But

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 24:57

yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 24:57

just saying that like, I swear I look at these lists and it just, it doesn't even make sense. Like, there's just no reason for some of the cards they cut. Like, it feels like they look at a list and they don't get what the creator was thinking. Because like, Pidgin lists are like, kind of like, so clear. Like a, I don't know how to say it, like a way into the mind. Like you could see exactly what the person who made it was thinking. So if you're looking at the list and just like brain off changing cards, then you're just lost. Like you need to like understand what they're thinking and then like think like oh okay like what gaps in their knowledge are there to like fix stuff. Like people just look at cards like I don't like Great Tusk right? Like I don't like Great Tusk either, but that doesn't mean I just, like if I take his list I'm not gonna cut the Great Tusk and be like well, no Lugia plan needed, let's just rip it with that Great Tusk.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 25:42

yeah, yeah, exactly. I think you, you have to approach these, these kinds of things with a plan. And like, I, I think one thing too is like, people kind of just like parrot what they hear, which is like, they'll, they'll basically start with like, imagine they start with like, a Pidgeot list that's like, Isaiah's LA, LA list, right? And like, This thing has a great plan for Lugia, but like, they'll like, just take it and they'll be like, Oh my god, I read on Twitter that Great Tusk is a way to beat Lugia. They like, shoved the Great Tusk in there. They like, cut two cards, add Great Tusk, and like, without and like, I think this causes the root of a lot of, a lot of Pigeot problems, which is overlapping text. Like, kind of like what you said earlier, the most important thing is your win percentage, not your like, win margin. Right? And so like, When you're adding, like, second, third, fourth, different route to beat Zard, when you already have, like, you can already just shove the Mimikyu and win, but you're playing the cloth anyway, you're playing, like, all this

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 26:37

The Lux Cape,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 26:38

you're playing Luxgate, yeah, like, when you're playing, like, overlapping cards for a single matchup and they don't they don't collateral anything, that's Pidgeotto's bad. Like that's what makes them bad.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 26:50

also, I, I've, I've like sinned recently and I've cut the third Pidgey, but like, please don't do that. Third Pidgey is like, kind of like the best card in the deck. The fact that you can Poffin and get both Pidgeys, like every game. That's like, it's broken. Like, prizing even one Pidgey feels like tragedy is struck. Like, you are not going to win that game.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 27:09

Yeah, I agree

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 27:10

oh, another tech I'll give you for free, guys. Manaphy, Broken Card. Like, I feel like most Guardi Plans do not hold up to Screamtail. Like, you got, like, I get that Ogre Pawn doesn't actually feel bad. Like, if Lugia Ogre Pawns you, you're kind of smiling. You're like, oh, bet. You didn't even, like, power up Senchina. It's like, that's fine. But if, Garde, like, there's just no way to really beat, like, Screamtail killing your Sandshrew whenever they want. You do need the Manaphy, unfortunately.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 27:34

Yeah, I think I, I think the Manaphy is good. I, I think the third Pidgey, I, I think third Pidgey, this format this format feels a little bit less needed. I think, like, I'm not exactly sure why. I think it's because people are, like, Primecatcher. I, if I think about it for a second, I'll know. But, yeah, like, the Pidgey feels less under attack. I think a, like, Greninja's gone down,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 27:55

I was about to tell you, it's the Greninja. That's the reason it feels like less, less important. It's the Greninja, I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 28:00

yeah, yeah, I, so, like, I, I, I, I see cutting the the third Pidgey. Like, I'll listen to it a little bit more, but I, yeah, I like it as well. It's like a pseudo consistency card for like turn one and draw. It's a good draw, and it is, like, very important as, like, a card to ensure that Pidgeot stays on the board throughout the game.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 28:20

know what one deck I wanted to pick your brain about? It's been like tearing up my locals. So, I don't know. I mean, some of them are going to play it, but like, I'm not going to name any names, you know? But the point is, like, Turbo Lostbox, I, like, triple VAC. What do you think about it's like Lugia? I think the most important matchup to me is, what do you think about the Lugia matchup? Because, I don't know. I mean, I don't, like, play either deck that much, but to me it seems like it has to be Lostbox favorite, but then anytime I talk to any Lugia player or, like, see a Lugia player talking, they're always like, Oh yeah, against Lostbox, I just hands, and then, like, it's so free, I don't know, you just kind of roll them, legacy energy, and I'm like, I don't think I've like never ever seen it go like that. I've always seen like, Lost Box just like, completely WOMP Lugia. It looks like a com it looks like it was never even close, right? So I don't I'm not sure, like, what do you think?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 29:03

I, dude, I Are you, when you're talking about watching it like Womp Lugia, are you talking about last format or this format? Because last format, yeah,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 29:12

No, I this format, they just like, they just Primecatcher, Raikou, like, gimp them, like, something always tragic happens, and I'm like, oh, let let Dex

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 29:18

yeah, I mean, if something tragic happens, I guess you lose, but like I, I found it to be like super Lugia favorite. That was actually like what turned me off from Lost Blocks in the, at the start of the format, like, I basically sat down and played a few games and it was just like completely unwinnable every time Lugia set up, and Lugia set up like a fair chunk of the time, I built my Lugia list, like, consistently. Like, they basically just like, if they, if they get hands first attack, which is not like an unreasonable ask they get first attack with hands, you just have like, no response. Because you have to respond with a two prizer. You take one prize, you go down to five, they're on like, four, and then they take the two with like, Blood Moon, and go down to two, or Chinchino. Right, now they're at two prizes, and you have like, five, and there's like, no one prizers on the board, so you're crammed, you're stabilized, don't like, pick anything, except for maybe the Chinchino, but like, you're going down to

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:02

you have mist for the Sableye, like, it's so

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:04

yeah, the mist so like, yeah, like, the early hands is like, super hard to deal with.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:10

This is why I was interested in talking to you specifically, because I knew that the Lugias that I was watching were playing, like, dogshit lists, so they were just getting walloped, so I just figured, like, okay, I just want to know if, in, like, in theory, against a competent, good Lugia list, like, you are supposed to lose. That was my whole question, actually. So,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:27

yeah yeah, I mean, I, you fall behind so fast into the the legacy

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:31

Are Guardies playing Jirachi right now?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:33

No, no. I think

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:35

that match up has to be good,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:36

is like for,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:37

For Lost Box? Yeah, has to be,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:38

Yes, yes. I I think Lostbox is very good into Guardi. Dude, but, you can get, like, trolled by unfair stamp

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:47

Yeah, yeah.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:48

right?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:49

Oh, turn one I took a Cram knockout! Arvin, unfair stamp!

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:53

Yeah, yeah,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 30:55

Why did you get a Roxanne Mion, too? That didn't seem right.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 30:59

yeah, exactly, right? Lost Box is not built to get hand disrupted without, like, with that large of a deck, right? But, like, the matchup's fine, the matchup's fine. Dude, the unfair stamp is, like I think it's probably the best A spec in Lugia, er, in Gardevoir, but, like, I, I, it feels like pretty mid, bro, like, because you don't access a lot of card draw on the turn you Unfair Stamp. Like, you're either going, like, Arven Unfair Stamp, and, or if you, like, raw draw the Unfair Stamp, you can't Iono after, because then you, like, undo the Unfair Stamp. And, and, like, you can if you need to, but, like, it, it feels terrible and so, like. Even though it's like a consistency item, it doesn't actually like work that way very well, because you don't see a ton of cards, and you're like not able to draw cards afterwards.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 31:47

It kind of has to be like you Curlia, like you have a bunch of Curlias and then you Arven for it, and then you like, draw 10 cards after it. And it has to go exactly in that order every time or else it doesn't work. None of like, it's so hard.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 32:00

like, yeah, I'll go with that.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 32:03

I think the one thing about Lost Box 2 is like, okay, like, I the problem I actually think about the deck is like, I am so sus if it's Dragapult matchup. Like It can have plans in theory, like, oh, I'll just go so fast and I'll Greninja them and Gimp them or whatever, or like, I'll Sableye, or I, I, I'm so suspicious of Lostbox ever dealing with these, like, behemoth attackers. Like, last format, I always heard from all my Lostbox Enjoyer friends, like, Oh, dude, like, you beat Zard, like, trust, like, we have Roaring

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 32:29

Yeah,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 32:29

this and that. I don't know, man, I played Zard a lot, I was never losing that matchup. I played against a Lostbox, I am, like, smiling, I'm laughing to the bank, I'm already signing the slip, bro, it's not worth it.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 32:41

yeah, I, I, I agree, and I, I mean, I think it, it really depends on the build, like what stuff they're forced to bench. But I I I, I haven't tested the matchup very much. I think I've put it like a few times, but yeah, it's like hard to imagine. Like, like if you just think about it concept, I think the, like the loss box versus z matchup was like pretty close last

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 33:01

Nah, bro, it was a Zard matchup. Stomp, bro, trust.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 33:04

I mean, I think you could, you could build a loss box that like. Solid into Zarg. And the way you would do that, too, is by literally adding a Grass Attacker, because, but Dragapult has no weakness. Like, you just, you just never get through it.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 33:17

Oh, I'm gonna Roaring Moon, and then they just like take four prizes on your hair next turn, like with

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 33:21

Yeah, exactly. So you have like no way, no good way through the Dragapult. So you basically just have to let it sit there and go around. I don't think going around is a bad strategy. That's like, kind of the default strategy for Lost Box, right? Leaning on Sableye and Prime Catcher, Boss, whatever.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 33:35

whatever they're playing,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 33:37

yeah, yeah, if they're playing the Pidgeot, yeah, exactly. But it's a lot harder to, like, there's so much more threat when it's a Dragapult. Like, you know, they're just taking extra prizes for free as compared to the Zard matchup last format. So if you, like, think about it, like, something like that, like, I just cannot see how the matchup isn't

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 33:54

good. It can't be good. I agree, but I think Lostbox will be the fifth most played deck at this tournament. So, it is I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 34:01

Yeah, I'll agree.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 34:02

Because I just don't know what to play out

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 34:03

that deck always, it always defies the meta chair, bro. I don't, I don't know why, but it's like, always fit. Even in formats where I like, should see like, zero

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 34:11

a psychological thing. Like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 34:13

Right?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 34:14

it's if you go to a tournament, and you play Lugia, and you draw Lugia hands, and you lose? Ah, whatever. You go to a tournament and you play Lost Box? Like, I'm gonna admit, I'm the biggest, like, Like, perpetrator of this, but that was only because I used to play it at, like, League Cups and stuff. Like, after I lose a Lost Box game, I never ever think, like, oh, man, the deck just, like, didn't work. Or, unless I, like, obviously start, like, Manaphy Pass. The most time I look at my Lost Zone, I'm like, ah, must have made a wrong decision. Like, I'll look at some random card in the Lost Zone and be like probably my fault. Oops.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 34:42

the biggest trap. Like, I think it's It's good to be, like, somewhat, like, critical of yourself, of course, right? And try to examine yourself for misplays. But this is, like, this is also the trap all the Guardi players fall into. Like, it's literally the same band of players, right? Like, these, like, solid players, right? That, like, they just they're somewhat, like, they play decks that are just really complicated, right? And have to make a lot of resource decisions. And then when they're under resourced at the end of the game, because they, you know, they have to lose a lot of resources somehow, they're like, dude, I must have just made a mistake. And,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 35:14

I'm, I am that person, unfortunately. I'm, I'm,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 35:17

yeah. No, and like, I think it's a solid, it's a solid mindset, but you also have to recognize when you're, like, just playing a troll deck that, like, deterministically cannot have enough resources, or it's just impossible to play at, like, a level where you always have enough resources. Like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 35:31

I think too,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 35:32

it's just

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 35:33

I, I have the same issue with, like, used to have it with Zard, where it's like, you look at the end of the game and you're like, man, if my board was just literally Zard, Pidget, they would have no counterplay. And then you like, have like a random Charmander, no, and you have like a random Charmander on the bench so they can just, and you're like, they have one prize left, you have a random Charmander, and you're like, ah, well that must have been my fault. But then you like, remembered the game, and you're like, well, what was I gonna do, like, have one Charmander this whole time, like?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 35:55

yeah. Yeah, exactly, like, when I said it. Yeah, yeah, you, exactly. You sometimes get forced into like bad decisions, and then like, you know, you see their effects at the end, and you're like, I guess it was a bad decision, like I, or like a wrong decision, but it was more just like a bad decision, right? Like it was a, it was a lose lose kind of

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 36:10

just got to see one lose play out, right? So now it's like, in your face. Like, oh, no, I lost because of this. But if you got like, G. I. P. with your lone Charmander in that example, and then you're like, am I stupid? Like, why did I bet your second Charmander? Like, ahhh.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 36:23

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 36:27

Think the most interesting thing we can talk about next is the Dragonfall list, you know? You just fresh off the Tord Masterclass. Like, there's a lot of versions out there. I think that's what a lot of people are interested in, right?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 36:37

Tor tor such role, I think he is like, kind of right, like the, this is like a solid, solid like excuse explanation, whatever you wanna call it, But yeah, he is like, if I gave people one list, this list list would become unplayable because like, and he is, he is not that wrong, right? Like the, the list would kind of just be unplayable.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 36:57

It's like how Tord's art used to get smashed by Eleki's art, because I knew your list exactly, right? Yeah.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 37:02

yeah, like. And, and I mean, every, this, this would have, like, the biggest target on its back, right? Coming out of the

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 37:08

made bait lists? He's like, ah, Xatu.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 37:10

like, yeah, yeah, so basically it just gives you, like, four lists, and he's like, all of these are, like, good. Just, like, pick one for NAIC. And they all were good. There were, there were some solid ideas. The, the biggest takeaway was, or, like, the biggest thing he was preaching, I guess, is, like, you should be playing Unfair Stamp, you should be playing Temple, Brad Zarg, two countercatcher. It seems fine. The one thing that's really funny, though, is I was looking at some of the online data this morning. There was an online last night. Today is Tuesday. Tuesday the 4th so Monday the 3rd there was an online, and, yeah, it was like that Deckout Mondays thing or whatever. I, I looked at Dragapult, it was like the, the 5th, 6th most played deck. The highest placing Dragapult was a 3 2 drop that I think was playing one of the Tord 60s. And like, you know, all lines of course are not, like, great. You know, great data points, but they're solid data points and definitely funny at times. I think that's like so goofy. I don't actually think many players are jumping to Dragapult.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 38:07

I think the one thing I worry about with Tord's list is like, his, his pitching list is literally like, it's like, like when a kid gets a homework assignment that's like relatively similar to like the assignment he's done before and he just, he tries his absolute hardest to not do any new work and just kind of repurpose it. Like, His list, I believe it's good, and I believe that engine is good. But the fact that it's like, pretty much as if he just took the Zard cards out and like, slide it in Dragon Ball cards, It just makes me a little sus. It's like, oh, like how much did he actually play this deck, you know? I'm not sure it's fine, but like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 38:41

yeah. Oh, the other thing that was interesting was the the, the supporter package that he was he

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 38:46

his Kirin in, bro. He

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 38:48

yeah, Cheren Turo, one boss, and one of each of the former, and one Pal Pad. He basically has that on all the lists, except for Lost Stone, I think. Yes. And I think it's probably good. It makes a lot of sense because you can lean on the countercatchers very hard with Dragobolt because you don't take prizes even though you're staying fine on board, right? So like, similar to Guardi, you can just go to low boss counts. I think damage mods are good. Dragobolt benefits a lot from them. And the Turo's really good as well, I think. This was one thing he mentioned as well that I hadn't quite put into words yet, so it's you know thank god I listened to Tor. Is, you need four attacks to win. you have to announce Phantom Knight four times. And I think that's like something that I was really feeling every time I played the deck, which is like, just like getting Dragapult up, even like pretty fast, and just hitting with it for the rest of the game, like never missing a beat, is not really enough. You have to like, you have to heal it at some point. So then, that was like I, I begun putting Turo in basically all my Dragonfall lists, like, you know, a week ago or something, but like, yeah. So I, I think that Turo makes sense, Cheren

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 39:54

can definitely attack like two to three times and then just Radzard for the rest. And my other thing is, I like Cheren a lot because I love that Tord, like, tries to not lose control as much as possible. Because I just don't like showing up and being like, wow, the deck that only the really good players are going to play, I'm gonna just lose to for some reason like that seems that just seems wrong right like if you're gonna pick a deck to lose to Like technically you probably should you should lose to like a low percentage deck But I don't like losing to what the good players are gonna play because I don't like sitting down and being like, oh This guy's a good player. I guess i'm gonna lose I'd rather play against a raging bolt bot and be like this matchup's unfavored But he's about to do some ridiculous shit and i'm gonna just like unironically willpower and beat him Right like

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 40:33

Yeah, no, dude, I, that, that's exactly. That's part of my process and why I kind of don't want to play Pidgeot for NAIC right now, is the This is partly the TOR process, which is like, you shouldn't lose to yeah, don't lose to Pidget, I agree with that, that's actually not the reason, but it's also from the Azul process, which is like, just target the decks that good players are gonna play, right, like, make sure you win your top 8, top 4 match, make sure you win your last 3 matches in day 2, and like, just figure it out for the rest, and part of figuring it out too, is having an attacker, like, being able to attack is a really, really good way to figure it out, like, Because that's the best way to test decks, right? Like, when you're playing Pidgeot, and you're taking, like, a bad matchup, what that usually means is, like, you just have no plan, and literally, your opponent, they just, even if they have no clue what they're doing, they will, like, stumble their way into a victory, because you have no way to stop them. You have no way to slow them down. That's kind of what, like, a bad matchup with Pidgeot means. Or, like, a really bad

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 41:30

actually I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 41:31

the deck, and you're, like, I, like, no, Pidgeot does take, like, 50

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 41:35

I think, no no, I think the one thing I want to like, clarify though, is like, now with Blood Moon Ursaluna, like the bad players, they'll, they don't beat you anymore, it's

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 41:43

Oh, they kept

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 41:44

They literally walk into the lose, like, they just like, face roll too fast, and you're like, wait, if they just pass and then attach like two more energies, don't I lose this game? But like, they don't do that, they just hit you, and you're like, oh, lit. Blood Moon Ursaluna, like, I'll clean up your board, I win. Like, that card has finally let me punish the people who are just face roll monkeying into me, which is why I've just been farming with that deck. But yeah, the point stands. I just think like, currently with

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 42:06

But yes. Yeah, I, like er, yeah, like, I'll make this more broad when you're playing, like, really slow decks in general that aren't trying to take surprises, at least aggressively, like, if you cut text for a bad matchup, and you're saying, like, oh, it's okay, I'll just lose to that, it's not the same as when, like, You know like, what is it? Gardevoir, like, cuts Enhanced Tamer. They're like, okay, I'll just lose to Lugia. Because if Lugia goes draw pass, they'll still find a way to win. But, like, when you're playing a slow deck and you cut your techs, like, they can draw pass for, like, ten turns and you'll probably still lose. Like, it depends on the deck, of course, but, like, that's, like, generally more true for, like, slower decks, right?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 42:41

nothing, you can't punish any misplay. Like, if you don't have an attack, you're just sitting there, you're like, wow.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 42:46

Yeah, exactly. Like, you get a, you gain a lot more when you're able to, like, attack when your opponent like makes their deck malfunction right like when your opponent just like misses an attack for no reason you just like instantly win even if it's a bad matchup like when they when they deviate off of like the the expected course because like all matchups are relatively tight in that sense right so yeah like playing an attacking deck and then just being like playing playing the attacking deck that will win the last six rounds of the event i think is a solid strategy Going in,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 43:20

And not to generalize towards

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 43:21

I'm thinking about for

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 43:22

not to generalize towards Dex too much, but one thing I've noticed in general he likes playing stuff that lets the, like, gets to pick stuff off. Like, he likes playing Guardi, he likes playing, like, Dragapult, he played, like, Primecatcher before anyone else in Zards. Like, not that Primecatcher's a novel idea, but it's, the point is, like, the best way to Punish people is like people are very bad at building like robust board states Like obviously sometimes it's their hand and like yeah, okay, man Like you drew bad like sure and I picked you off like that wasn't your fault I like I got you but like sometimes you just have the cards and they still don't build a good board state and you can pick them off and like He seems to like from what I can understand like what I observe He seems to love like picking off stuff and like punishing like oh, you only got one bib out Bang. Or like, oh, you only got like one Curly out. Like, I am going to always have the Gus knockout, and I'm going to like, cripple you. And that was his whole plan in the backs too, like last format. Which I thought was bad. I thought Towards Art like, got smashed by backs, but that's not the point.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 44:19

Dude, from what I gather from what I gather about Tord, I think, dude, it's, it's somewhat like that, like, curve, you know, the, the, like, the IQ bell

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 44:27

Yes, yes, yes. It must be something that I know you're talking

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 44:30

like, yeah, like like, dude, he, he's, like, actually just made the game, like, super simple, and I don't even, like, every time I talk to him, he's like, yeah, dude, you just, like, you just play the good cards, and, like, you just, like, Play the Gusts. Like, Gusts are good in Pokemon. Like, those are really good cards. Like, just play the Gust cards, play like, just, just play the, like, the strong cards. And it's like, it's generally a really good philosophy, I think.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 44:52

I think most Pokemon players are working too hard, and like, getting like, the worst results ever. We're all actually stuck at, like, I would say like, confidently, like, most me and my friends are stuck. Like, a little bit on the high end of like, the bell curve, right? Like, towards, towards, towards, like, towards, towards end, for sure. But like, like, we're not at the level where we're just like, Oh, dude, like, obviously, just play the good cards. Like, it's always like, oh, we need to have, like, some mega plan. Like, what if they, like, do this, like, ridiculous line? Like, who

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 45:19

I think that's like the, the, like, the concrete calculation is, like, probably, like, one of the worst things for, like, Solid Pokemon players, right? Like, exactly that, like, Gardevan. They're like, dude, this happens turn one, then this turn two, this turn three, this turn four, and then, like, do you actually win in this position? Like, duh duh duh duh duh. But, like, you could also, like, you should play the good cards and just, like, figure it out. Like, that's, like, yeah, like, if your deck is just good, you just, like, you end up figuring it out.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 45:47

I will say, though, that concrete, like, X, like, A, B, C, like, this is how the game's gonna go, like, from 1 to 4. I think, like, I one of my biggest improvements as a player was when, when I was, like, younger, it would be like, I would do that, but everyone's hitting the nuts every single turn. Like, they're actually hitting, like, triple Dark Patch, and, like, Catcher, Head, like, the most broken shit ever. And so it's like, oh, yeah, like, obviously, no one nothing can hold up to this. So I think now, like, the next level is being like, okay, here's, like, realistic things that'll happen. And I think it helps you farm those mid level games. Like, if you look at the lines that are just average that happen in a lot of games, and then you see at the end of it you're winning via, like, some very basic, like, play, then, like, you just farm those games because a lot of your games against, like, mid level players will just be the A B C path, nothing weird will happen. They're never gonna try, like, oh, what if I never attack here? And, like, don't activate your CC. Like, they just, they hit you, you hit them, you see it to the end, and you win the game.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 46:42

Yeah, dude, I think that's actually one of the, like, the best tests of seeing whether or not somebody's a good player is like, well, like, a good player is present in a match is how far it deviates from the standard plan. Like, if you see it, and like, like every time you walk by good players. Right, like, walk by the top tables, you look over, and, like, somebody is playing with, like, they're, like, attacking with the Pidgeot, or something, and Dragapult. Like, something weird is happening, because they take subpar hands, and subpar hands are, like, That is the average hand. You will, like, you draw a lot more subpar hands than, like, 2 percent or something. Like, you draw a ton of subpar hands, and every time one of them sees it, they turn it into a vi they turn it into they, like, maximize the hand in, like, unorthodox ways, because you can't chase the main line. And so, like, you know, like, yeah, like, really weird stuff is always happening when you, like, look at, like, top tables.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 47:30

think the other subtle thing

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 47:31

weird

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 47:32

There's two factors, there's one, they often prize stuff, and like, they actually are aware of their prize cards, and they don't just like, play the game, then they get to the part where the thing they need is prize, and they go, ah, shucks, I forgot to check, so like, A, that happens a lot, and B, in a, in the like, standard line of like, This is the standard line, and here's who wins at the end. Both players who are competent get to see that line, right? Like, they get to know, like, oh, if I do ABC, like, it'll end like this, and it'll almost always be their win. So the guy who's gonna lose isn't gonna just, like, you're the main character, like, I'm gonna, like, let

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 48:03

Yeah!

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 48:04

the thing and get you, like, they're, like, gonna try to, like, Gimp you in some

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 48:09

Yeah, they have to deviate, right? Like, exactly.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 48:11

Unless you're bad, then you just like, let it happen. You're like, oh well, maybe they won't have

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 48:14

right? Like, dude, I, I swear, man, like, you just, you have to search for win rates somewhere, like, if you, if you just, like, walk into the, like, the win that they've, like, clearly been setting up for, like, two turns, that's, like, that's, like, the craziest thing, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 48:28

They might miss energy off Iono. Iono to 2, they might miss energy card. Like, I don't know.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 48:34

Like, yeah, I, like, exactly, like, you, you, almost never, it's, like, almost never. Do top players just walk into like a checkmate situation? Whereas like, when you see like, yeah, like, like stinky players play, like they just like, they're at like three prizes, their opponent's at two, and they're like, alright, dude, I'm just gonna take this two prize KO and see what happens, and like, it's like always wrong, like, whereas like top players will like, you know, they'll just retreat into some random one prize or just like pass, and like, Try to, try to figure something out next, right? Like, play for I.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 49:04

Or they'll try to

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 49:05

like that, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 49:06

Like, let's say it's clear that you're like, you're like sitting out there trying to CC them. Like, you can

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 49:10

yeah, yeah, like, exactly, like, boss a one prizer or something, like, yeah, yeah, right? Like, it's, it's so rare that, like, yeah, good, good players, like, never walk into it.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 49:20

And it's like I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 49:20

dude, that's some,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 49:21

most good player versus bad player matchups like I don't know like the whole time I don't want to like end like I'm not like cracked or anything I feel like I'm just like solid but the point is like Most of the time you play against someone who's like clearly worse than you It's like it always comes down to like oh at the end They're gonna Iona me and I have to draw like one of my ten outs and I win the game Like if I hit ultra ball, I just win. Okay. Well, I guess we're just gonna play this out Where I feel like I play against people who like really challenge me. It's like Man, like, why aren't they just taking the why aren't they just doing the thing and then I can win? Like, why are they like

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 49:51

Yeah, right? Like, you have to think a lot more, for sure.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 49:55

But I I love that. Like, that's the kind of thing that I spend all my time doing, so I actually feel advantaged even in those spots too. But that's the thing, it's like, then when you play against someone bad and then they do do the Iona play and you just miss one of your 10 outs, you're like, oh man, you got me. Like, I can't believe it.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 50:11

yeah, dude. Dude, speaking of that, that's actually a mistake that I've like really had to learn with with Lugia. Because like Ultra Ball is such a big part of your outs, is like, there's a lot of situations where you just cannot go down to one prize. Like, They'll, like, feed you a one prizer, and it's, like, a solid one prizer to take. Like, basically everything except for Ultra Ball being an out in deck indicates that you should take the knockout. But, like, you just play so many Ultra Balls, and you have to be able to If you get I 0 0 to 1,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 50:42

And there's almost no reason to do it. If there's a two pricer on the board somewhere, there's really

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 50:46

yeah, yeah, you just have to sit, right?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 50:48

yeah. And, and, Primal Turbo, that's the best part. You're thinning your deck,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 50:51

I mean, like, there's There's a lot of situations where it can feel kind of natural, like you're either taking something important or, like, they have, like, other one prizers on the bench and it, like, lowers the amount of damage you need to hit for to set up a win. And so, like, there, you know, there's obviously a lot of upsides to, like, taking knockouts.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 51:11

Yeah

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 51:11

but, yeah, going, going to one is,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 51:12

I think Zard

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 51:13

like, way

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 51:14

has aggressively trained me to at least identify when it's not good, though. Because the way, like, I'm playing a Zard, or I am playing the Zard, and like, I'm like, oh, if I go to one, CC is live the whole game, I'm gonna get Iono'd, and I'm gonna have, like, half, drawing half the cards you're gonna draw otherwise is, is pretty bad, right? And like, and most of the time I'm like, this game feels, like, inevitable, like, especially if you can, like, chip them, or like, do, or just promote something annoying to them, so that way they can't boss an Iono. I think the part about this game that people don't remember a lot, You can only play one supporter card a turn. So like, you're not gonna get like, Boss, Ionode, Turode, all at once. Like, they can only do one of those effects, so you just have to like, you have to treat it like a bunch of trees. Rather than thinking of it as like, like all the things at once. Like, oh man, like if my hand gets disrupted, and they gust my attacker, and pick up their liability, like I'm cooked. Like, you can see that coming. Like, it's gonna happen in front of you. Slowly. Slowly.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 52:13

yeah, yeah I, I think we've all fallen into

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 52:16

Yeah, it happens. It happens, obviously. Pokemon's a hard game. It's like, underrated how difficult it is. I was just saying that a lot of my discussions with you, though, about like, Pidget, I'm like, especially against Dragapult, for example, right, I'm like, dude, they can't boss and Cheren on the same turn. Like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 52:31

No, yeah, yeah, you definitely take, you take a lot of advantage of the, the Vodka supporters. That's like the only way anything stays alive, bro. You have to the 30 buff on the Cheren just killed everything.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 52:41

it has to be the fact that they can't like, Cheren, switch, and boss the thing you want. Like, they can only really do like, if they started playing hard switches, hard catchers and stuff, like, that match would be kind of miserable. But they don't, so it's fine.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 52:54

I mean, dude, even, even the hard switches though, you can get those off the the air and stuff.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 52:58

Yeah, yeah.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 52:59

I think, it's really awkward building, building Prophesia. I mean, it's such a, it's such a flexible deck, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 53:05

Sandshrew broke

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 53:06

playing, like, Yelch here, but

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 53:07

broke the whole thing,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 53:08

now, like, I have, I have no idea how to how to add a way to get enough resources. I was looking for something that literally shuffles, shuffles cards into the deck, so you don't get Luxrayed.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 53:18

Crazy thought in Garde, by the

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 53:19

it, there's nothing.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 53:21

I I mean, I don't think anyone's playing Garde, so I think it's chill. I think Mew EX could have potential. A crazy thought. So you can

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 53:28

mean, we've tried New York City

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 53:30

Oh, really? Didn't work?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 53:32

Well, last four months. I have no idea for this

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 53:35

Because

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 53:35

But, I mean, we've tried it in basically every format since it came out, and it's just not that good.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 53:42

really? Cause I figured like, oh, the fact that when they're Luxraying, you can Luxray back, and then if they ever bench a Lecky, Or like, the end plan, at least for, like, I don't know if you wanna get too into it, but the end plan, at least for me against Guardi would be like, Oh, I'm gonna a Lecky loop them, after I've gotten rid of everything, right? And like, if I could just Mew back, and like, oh, bet, we're gonna a Lecky loop together, but like, I'm gonna infinitely have boss to punish you, like, That seems pretty good to me.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 54:06

I mean, I always go for the Retreat Lock plan against Garrity.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 54:10

Yeah, yeah, of course, at some point you have to transition to that because of Monkey Dory,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 54:14

Okay, yeah, yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 54:15

but there are turns where you're gonna Alekki in the middle of it, because you run out of CCs.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 54:19

how, yeah, how often, when, when you play Guardi against Petya, do you go for the aggressive crest, like, to try and hunt things down? Because obviously you get the Manaphy quick, so that there's

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 54:29

I think it's really scary to do that, because if the energies ever hit all four Pokemon, that means your damage is, like, extremely capped, like, I don't even have to find the Bravery Charm. Like, I'm like, oh, lit, the energies are

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 54:40

no, yeah, like, it's, it's, it's definitely losing,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 54:43

I'll just, I'll Ogre Pawn the Cresselia right then and there. I'm like, oh, bet, you just threw, actually, I think that, I think you just lose on the spot.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 54:50

yeah. No, I, it's like, you have to have a lot of resources left. You have to have, like, the Turo left and that's, like, one where, like, this, not having the Snorlax is, like, I, like, Snorlax is just, like, amazing against Garde. It's, like, so much better

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 55:04

because you play one boss, right, like, obviously.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 55:07

yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 55:07

I just think Overpod is

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 55:08

like, they're also, like, evolving, and they get so much value out of going Turo and then Retreat. Like, it basically is, like, two switches for them, kind of, or, like, two energy removals. It's like, the matchup is still, I think, really good for PTC. Like, that's actually probably, like, your best matchup.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 55:23

yeah, if you can play 9 Guardies in a row If I was told going into this tournament I'm gonna play 9 Guardies in a row, I'd be playing my Pidgey list. I wouldn't even overtech for it, I'd be like, I trust with my, like, the techs I have right now for other stuff. I'll get it done, it's

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 55:34

Yeah. Like, yeah, that matchup is really, really good,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 55:38

One slight thing, I don't wanna call out Anil. Cause that guy is hella funny, great podcaster, love the guy.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 55:44

Oh!

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 55:45

I just wanna say, like, people don't know about retreating out of Mawile. I swear. Like, they just don't, like, evolve retreating. Cause he used a switch against me. Like, I, I mean, obviously he could have just been a lapse, but then he just like, randomly evolved into Bebarrel at the end, and I was like okay. Cause he lost on my

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 56:00

Yeah, dude, like the mobile is super, there's like a bunch of weird counters for it, right? It's the evolving out and the other one that's kind of, kind of weird is like you'd like to get some value out of, out of the retreat lock against Lugia, just like force them to hit jets, but they also play the mist, right? And they can like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 56:19

They don't know about that either. Like, at least the two Lugias I play against, they don't know about any of these cards, bro. They don't read them, they don't know what's happening.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 56:26

I mean it's not great, right? Because you get the turn and that's really all

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 56:29

But I was Lumi I was like, one time I was Lumi locking, and he was just waiting for Janna, like, just put a mist on this thing. Like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 56:34

Yeah, I know, you just put the miss and it's fine, right? Yeah. Yeah. Definitely give it to my strats, bro. I'd love to see a Lugia

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 56:44

Dude, if they're an hour deep into this podcast, bro, and they're like, they're like, oh,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 56:48

to him, right? Yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 56:55

jacking about Pidgeot. They're listening to us talk for an hour, and they don't know about, like, evolving out, Myst energy out, like, secrets to us. I think at that point, like, that's like, that's a crazy demographic. Like, who is this person who listened to our podcast for an hour and didn't know until just now? I don't know.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 57:16

but yeah, the, like, the Retreat Log effects, they have some like, they're not as generally good as, like, the Ability Retreat,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 57:23

But, it's,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 57:23

well, they're, no, they're generally stronger, for sure, but they have, like, some more,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 57:27

problem is that you can't craft a plan around Snorlax that's, like, objectively always winning, unless you're playing straight up Blocklax, right, because it's like, they'll draw the boss eventually, like, you can't, like, pray forever, if they're playing multiple, like, if it's not Guardian or Pult, I agree with you, Guardian and Pult you can just,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 57:45

I think,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 57:46

Blocklax, it's fine,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 57:47

yeah, I mean, yeah, sure, sure, it depends on the deck, I think. Yeah, a big part of Black Fox's plan, obviously, is to, like, rip something off the sister,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 57:57

or Flute. Or, oh yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 58:01

Yeah. Like, Flute's really good,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 58:03

Flute is correct.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 58:04

dude, I underestimated Flute when it first came out, because, like, I looked at it and I was like, dude, you just get to play it once? Like, it seems so terrible, because there's no recursion, but it's actually I, the effect is actually pretty strong. Like, it is of course just a gotcha card, right? Like, there's no counterplay. It doesn't cause any change of behavior, but I, it like actually hits like a good enough chunk of the time that I could, you know, I see some

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 58:27

I could see it with Eleki builds, right? Cause you can just Eleki the Flute over and over again. Like, I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 58:31

no, no.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 58:32

Why not? Am

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 58:34

well, like, if you're going Eleki to Flute, like, you have to be in just like the best position ever. That's like so win

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 58:39

No, no, no. I swear there's positions where you're like, objectively losing eventually, but they're just sitting there waiting for their boss. Like, they have like, no cards in hand, they're just waiting for the boss,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 58:49

But dude, I mean, if there's, like, I don't know, I've like never gotten to a situation like that where there's, they don't have like a switch because they always have something that like can't attack on their board or something like that if they're like waiting for a boss. Like

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 59:00

No, but they're waiting for like, boss

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 59:01

like, I know, I like, like, I, I,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 59:03

it can ha I don't know, it

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 59:04

I, I see like the board you're talking about but it's, I, yeah, I, I find it like very rarely happens. Like that, that deep into the game I usually have like a target at that point. Like a lucky flute is like not, not something that I've been looking for I

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 59:17

I've never played Flute, honestly, I've just been theorizing about it. I haven't actually played the card, so, down to I'm down to be wrong about it, it just seemed funny.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 59:25

yeah I don't know, like, usually at that point you're just going, like, Iona, Luxray, right? And just trying to, trying to rip, but,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 59:32

one thing I was thinking about in general, in like, the format, is like, there's Monkey Dory shenanigans with Guardi, There's Dragapult doing the 6 damage. I think Lostbox, what, like, 5th most played deck, that's still doing, like, nonsense with, like, Sableye.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 59:45

Yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 59:50

the format. Like, or no, one of them. Not the best card because of Blood Moon, but it's like, it's a gas card, sure. But not every deck's playing Fire, like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 59:56

It's better than Blood Moon, just, like, objectively

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 59:58

kind of, but also, it's like, you

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:00:01

All right, and

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:00:01

fire, and like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:00:02

yeah, okay, if you're, Blood Moon is, yeah, a stronger card generally, but

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:00:08

in the decks that can Radzard, Radzard is better, obviously. Yeah, yeah. But the point I was getting at is, do you think there's room for other other Radiants? Like, I know Radiant Serena, for example, and like, in random things, like, nothing specific, but like, is there any, like, is there any Radiant Pokemon that you're maybe sleeping on? Like, oh, the one I was wanting to talk about was Jolteon. In Dragapult, Alakazam. Like, especially if you're playing, like, Xatu or something. Or it's like, Rads aren't just too cracked.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:00:32

I mean, Tor just did the Master Class, bro, he addressed all the Radiance, he was like, not all the Radiance, but specifically Serena and Alakazam, he was like, I, I tried both these, these are not as good, but

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:00:41

Oh, okay, well, I mean, if the Goat is Spoken, my

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:00:43

I, I, I, I think in Dragapult specifically. And I think in Dragapult it makes more sense, right? You need the high damage output, the single prizer. Alakazam is that coat, but like, yeah, reds are.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:00:52

Like, in Raging Bolt, for example. Like, let's say you're playing Raging Bolt vs. Dragapult specifically. Raging Bolt doesn't really have any I have to say Greninja. Okay, nevermind. They have Greninja and you kind of

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:01:00

Greninja, Greninja is

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:01:01

I was going to say like Serena could work. Cause like, my plan as Dragapult is always like, Oh, you put 10 on the Teal Mask and you like, hit the active for 200 and then like, Alright, like, I'm two attacks from winning. And it feels like there's no counterplay to that. That's my

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:01:13

Dude, just play three Bravery charms.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:01:16

that card is

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:01:16

Just rip all the charms, bro.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:01:18

They'll vacuum the one time it matters and they'll gust around the other two. And like, you're just playing three dead cards.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:01:23

no. Yeah. Bravery term, like any anyone. Anyone who's like trying to make raging Bolt a deck that like wins if you don't just like gim them in three turns is like you're doing it wrong. You just have to run them down as fast as you can and see if you win. Like there there's no other option and like

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:01:39

played Ark. You played Ark, but you refused to play Judge. You're like, ah, you know, but they could just draw the nuts off Judge. Like, I'm just not gonna play Judge. Like, I'm just gonna play like, I don't know. I don't even know what you could play instead, but like, ah, Judge is like

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:01:51

Yeah. Just probably research and try to set

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:01:54

to hit the nuts. Yeah, yeah, of course.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:01:56

Yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:01:56

That way I have a more robust board, right? Like, I can have a bigger bib

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:01:59

you have to accept that if your opponent like sets up, they're gonna beat you. It's.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:02:03

But I think this might be, okay, as much as I'm a Raging Bolt hater, I will say, I'm always focused on trying to beat, like, good lists, good players, etc. If you had a top 1024 at this tournament, like, exactly 1024, or like, or not obviously you can do better than that, but like, you need a 1024 desperately. You've already booked your ticket to Hawaii, but you need those 50 points. Low key, Raging Bull might Lugia. I would have told you to play Lugia before. But Raging Bull might be slightly better.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:02:33

I, I think these questions are so fun, and like, I mean, like, I, I guess I get where people are coming from when they ask what's the best way for me to get top 1024, but

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:02:42

try to get

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:02:43

Azul, this is, this is what Azul said, this, no, this is what Azul said, and I think this is actually, like, the greatest way to put it, lock in a deck right now and just play it, like, just play as many games as you can with it, because top 1024 is basically guaranteed if you are not playing a troll deck and not, like, a beginner, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:03:03

only time I've missed points at a regional this whole year was when I played Zorobox. And I don't wanna, I don't wanna, wait, wait, wait, I don't wanna slander Zorobox. Zorobox was actually lit. Just, it was an unlucky tournament, I like, lost like a, a Slowking mirror, like a Slowbro mirror with like Thorn and stuff. Like, that deck was lit, but the point is, like, obviously, like, if I was playing any other deck in the format, I would never miss points. Heh heh heh.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:03:25

Yeah, like, I mean, dude, like, the bar is pretty low, bro. Like, it's not even that, like, 4 4 1 is, like, a bad record, it's more about the context of the record, which is that you are going to hit players who who basically are playing for nothing. Like, basically, after you get that, like the third loss, like, maybe you play Autobahn I've played out, like, once or twice from getting that third loss, and, like, the quality of play drop is insane. It's like insane, because nobody cares anymore, and like, you know, like, you've

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:03:57

I do play it out, and like, my base level of gameplay is enough to win, but it's like one of the most depressing parts of the whole human experience. Like, you literally are like still thinking about your last round, you're like, man, like this, that, like, you're thinking about the three losses, and you're just like, also happy to be playing Pokemon against someone, like, at the same

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:04:15

yeah, like, but like, yeah, I mean, the quality of play drop is insane, and exactly, like, you're not even locked in, right, you're just like, you're just playing it out, and you're like, literally just decimating them, you're like, blowing them off the board, like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:04:28

I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:04:28

you're like, not even

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:04:30

vs Tino once at that position, like it was my last round, I lost like the round before, and I was like, oh my god I need to get

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:04:34

Oh my

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:04:35

And I was so pissed off, like I was like, thinking about my whole day, and in the meantime, I was like, I can't even describe it, it feels like I wasn't even looking at the board, and then I looked at the board and I was like, wait, alright, I'll just take 4 prizes this turn. And then I came back to like, thinking, I was like, what the hell? how it feels like every time you play that, in that band, right?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:04:54

yeah, I, like, yeah, what I was saying was the context behind the 4 4 1 record, which is, like, basically all you need for, like, a 10 24, I think, right? Yeah, it's, like, it's, like, 13 points. I think that's what it was at UIC. Like, yeah. You basically, even worst case scenario, you start off like, 0 3, you just have to go like, 4 1 1 against those players, bro. Like, and like, these are like, other people who started off 0 3 as well, and you have to go like, 4 1 1.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:05:21

can't play something, like, really gimmicky, though. You have to play something solid, because at that

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:05:26

yes, just play something that can attack, play something that can attack. Like, you just have to be able to run these guys

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:05:31

possible. Like, Pidget could definitely go 0 9.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:05:33

Yeah, no, like, if you get into the wrong bracket, you just get cooked, bro. I You know about my Indie run, bro. I literally started off 0 1 Tide, hitting Arc Fix, and then I hit Arc Fix round 2, and like, you know, you

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:05:45

I didn't

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:05:45

if you hit the wrong matchups, and you're

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:05:47

I I had problems

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:05:48

Yeah, no, I, I know, I had there was, there was too, too much consistency, I think I needed, I needed to play more power cards.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:05:54

Also, I don't think the ARK picks matchup is, like, bad. That bad.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:05:58

no, it's, it's, it's not, I just, I just had issues, bro, because I like, dude, the first one, I literally got, like, topdecked Turo on, like, a turn that I, like, I basically gambled no Turo, like, and then, yeah, they, they, like, topdecked Turo, because, like, I, like, you, you know, I, like, knew their hand, and I was, like, countercatcher, and I'm, like, I'm gonna go into the Yellow Heci now, or, like, whatever, and I'm just gonna, like, sit here, and if I get, like, one turn, I just win the game, just rip the Turo

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:06:20

I, I will say I'm super vulnerable to when I, because I've been playing a lot of see their hand decks, right? I've been playing like, I played Irizard, like Eleki at Orlando, like played Pidget recently. I've been playing a lot, and I've been playing those decks in between, right? I, when I see their hand and I know what's in there, I get like this crazy tunnel vision, like, oh, they'll never just topdeck X card. And like, to some degree, you can kind of do that, right? But then when they

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:06:44

I mean, I,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:06:45

man. Oops.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:06:46

I'm, I'm always accounting like for the top deck, but you just like, you usually have like very little room to account for the top deck, right? Like, you see their hand, there's some clear threat, and like, addressing a secondary threat of top deck Abyss is like, almost always like never possible,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:07:00

Oh, like if they topdeck boss, I have to play around that too. It's like, how am I gonna do that? Like I need to do the thing that's like in their

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:07:06

yeah, exactly, you just saw like Cheren in hand, right? Like, you have to deal with this. So usually, like, there's a more urgent threat, and like, Sometimes. Like, I actually had one game today that I, like, specifically remember doing that, and that's why I bring it up, is, like, I was, like, I already somehow had addressed the threat, and I, like, had, like, just enough room to, like, address, like, boss top deck or whatever, but, like, yeah, you're usually, you're usually stressed pretty thin, right? Like you shouldn't be, like, so over resourced that you can also be dealing with, like, a boss top deck and, like, a 20 card deck or

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:07:37

You know the frustrating thing about decks like Pidget? Because you need to have so many answers, you can't just make the game feel easy. Like obviously there's some matchups where like it does boil down to a point where you feel very comfortable and it's easy, but like most the time because you play so little of all the stuff you need, it's like you're always like a tragic prizing away. From like, getting cooked, or like, you don't have it in hand, and you're always like, Pigeoning for like, a specific card, and like, you just need one turn to like, get ahead on the Pigeon, or like, Raw draw a card, like, I think that like, It's, it's a weird thing that like, Like, bad players do, that I wish I could do myself, where it's like, They play cards that just make their win conditions so simple, and so like, over teched, That, they like, they just feel com when the games are winning, They, they know they're winning from minute one, and they just, Like, cruise to the end, right? HAHAHAHA

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:08:31

Yeah, I mean, I feel that, bro, and every time I watch one of those decks, like, actually work, I like, I feel something inside me, because I'm like, this is not supposed to happen, bro, like, your deck is supposed to implode, but and, and then, like, the, the crazy thing is, too, these are also the same people that you see on Twitter, they, like, literally just, like, show, they screenshot their hand, and

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:08:50

Dude, I was about to say that! I was about to say the exact

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:08:52

yeah, and then you see it, and there's, like, there's, like, four off meta cards that are just, like, insane power cards. I specifically remember seeing a Lost Box one from, like pre rotation, and it's got, like, Roxanne, Echo Horn, and, like, just a bunch of other random garments that, like, does not need to be there, and was certainly not in any of the lists that ever won, and he's like, dude, why does my deck not work? It's like, oh,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:09:16

the

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:09:16

of course.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:09:17

test enough is when they post specific hands of a deck. Like, they post a picture with their

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:09:23

Yeah, I, oh my,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:09:24

you're like, yeah, of course, like, you're playing 16, like, one time it'll happen! Like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:09:31

I never understand any of those posts, because like, how do you not see a hand like that and you're like, Dude, it's an anomaly. Like, you just move on. Like, even if it is one of those hands where like, you're playing four energy, or like, you somehow prized all four Chorus, like, scoop and Q again, bro! Like, it's never going to ever happen

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:09:49

I priced 3cc one time as Pidget, and I was like, okay, well, I lose, like, like, I'm not gonna, like, post on Twitter, like, what happened here? I played, like, a hundred games, like, of course, like, something crazy's gonna happen.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:10:01

stuff like that where you just like, you have to assume that they aren't like, thinking about their deck. Like, when you play, you know, three ZardyX instead of four, you make a conscious decision to say, I'm just going to lose one in a thousand games where I triple

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:10:15

Or, if you price 2, you kinda lose. Like, you do kinda lose if you price 2 when you do that, right? It can't

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:10:22

why, that's why Rowan went down to two Zard because you can prize one because the deck draws so many cards. It's very realistic to super rod ZardyX with the, with the bib. This was like, after the tour list, right? If you're playing the Pidgeot, I think you I can definitely see you getting cooked if you double prize or something, but like, yeah but yeah, like, all of those decisions, right? Like, playing 3 ZardyX instead of 4, you're accepting a loss to the triple prize, so like, why, when you see a triple prize Zara, are you like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:10:49

Freaking

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:10:50

shocked by it, like, yeah, like, you already knew this was, like, a possibility, and you were ready, you were, like, came prepared to scoop it up, and then, like, you see it, and you're, like, you don't want to scoop or something, like, just, like, shocked.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:11:01

that bothers me, right? It's like, dude, I get it. Like, at a tournament, I get it. You sit down, round

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:11:05

Yeah, yeah, right? If you, like, you lose top eight to something dumb or something

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:11:09

prize double pigeon in top 8, like, whatever. But like, It's, it's fine to complain about your tournament games, because that's a whole different thing. The testing hands is what bothered me. Like, them and their homie, like, eating pizza, and they're like, Oh, I drew this shit hand, like, that is, like, part of the experience. Like, we are supposed to see the whole band of hands. Like, I, like, I don't get it.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:11:30

That dude, there's also some people who I genuinely think believe that at least when it comes to Pokemon, they are more unlucky than other players. Like, they just genuinely think that, like, they draw more bad hands. Like, somehow.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:11:44

I will say,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:11:45

over a solid,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:11:46

have a friend of mine, who, I, who has a, has a solid side besides he plays a lot Kobe. He, unironically, I swear, unless he's playing a Pidget based deck, draws so much worse than average. It's crazy. Like, I'll show him something, and then he'll play it, and he'll like, put it in front of me, and I'm like, I don't know what to tell you, man. Like, I just ran it online with random hands, and like, it works, like, a lot. And I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:12:08

dude, I mean. Dude, that's definitely one of the craziest feelings, like when you're trying to put somebody on a deck or whatever, and you give them the deck, and the deck's not like running absolutely insane like 10 games in a row, and they just like draw like three bricks with it, like, that's

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:12:21

that's why at least now, because I

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:12:23

just keep playing, bro, trust.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:12:25

I play so much volume of games that I can at least calmfully tell them, like, This isn't the experience. And like, I just can tell people like, oh, I've played this matchup like 30 times. I played it correctly from both sides, I'm sure. I thought about it a lot. I played really well. I promise you this matchup is favored. You just got gimped like even five games in a row. Like you, we went 1 4 in person just now, but like, I played 25 games right before I came here, and I'm telling you, it's fine. It's a good matchup. Just unlucky. You lost one out of four. And the other thing too, I want to get your opinion on this because I don't know how to handle this in my own testing. Do you un prize things or do you scoop it up?

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:13:02

I scooped it up.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:13:03

I, I do too. I think it's, I think it's really weird to like play these like zombie games where you're like, you're like, oh, two pennies are prized, like, okay, like, I'm gonna try like, what if only one penny was prized? I think it's just more efficient to just run a new

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:13:15

I, I don't know, yeah, like, what's, what's the, what's the, what's the benefit of scooping it up? You save, like, 20 seconds, bro. And yes, it takes 20 seconds to shuffle in testing, and everybody knows it, but for some reason, when you sit down at a best of three regional, it doesn't. But yeah, like, it's It always disrupts the game. Like, you look at your opening hand, and you're like, Oh, dude, this is goaded, except for the pennies. I put those in the prizes, like, because you, like, never open the pennies in your hand or something, right? Like, you never open these cards you prize in your hand. You just throw them back in the deck, like, it's, I mean, it seems really weird. I'm like, what, like, what's the upside?

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:13:46

I think it's just, it's fine to do this thing where you're like, okay, if these cards were prized, here's like what would've happened, like, Like, talk about it. But I, I hate seeing it. Like, I hate, like, putting it back on my deck and be like, Okay, now I beat you because I put this card from the

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:13:59

No, yeah, yeah, like, I, I think, yeah, yeah, yeah, planning it out, right? Like, being like, oh, like, I, you know, I last prized this or something, it's like, That's a good thing to do, right? Like, I guess I have like, you know, 90 percent chance to win here, it's just, you know, last prize or something like that, whatever. But yeah, like, the unprizing is like, it just makes no

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:14:19

Okay, I'm so glad that we're on the same page. Because I thought, Okay, I do think there's one specific group of people who are allowed to un prize. You got like five, you like work, like you're an investment banker, you play like five games a week. And then you show up and like one of your five games is like the most agreed upon pricing ever. Still I would scoop it up, because then you can just play a different one of your five games. But I can kind of like rock with it.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:14:42

but, yeah, like, I don't know, for

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:14:47

But if,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:14:47

If you're talking about like budget hacks of how to like make your testing good if you don't test I don't know, I'm not an expert in that.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:14:53

Yeah, me neither. But, like, I, I, I understand that people have, like, real things to do, so, like, they can't just be like, Well, I wasted this 20 minute game, and then this thing was, like, prized, and then the game, like, completely went off the rails because of it. I, I can get it. But if you're playing a lot of games, you should just trust that, like, both sides are gonna get screwed, so just let it rock. Play enough games and it doesn't matter. Or, you know, the other thing I see people do that's like crazy, it's they play their consistent, their consistent deck. And when they draw bad car, bad hands, they're like, oh, this deck never draws like that. But when they see like the other deck, like draw like that isn't as inconsistent as they think. Like let's say they play against Luga versus like guard, right? And the Guardian draws a shit hand, ah, I gotta shuffle that back, you know, and it's like, guardian never draws bad, but when Lucia draws a shit hand, it's like, ah, you got lu. She, you sit on that.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:15:42

yeah, yeah, bro, yeah, yeah, dude, I think like people in general would benefit from like at least like acting like. They knew the hands are like a spectrum, bro. Like, everything is going to happen, like, you know,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:16:03

It's just about volume, right? If you're playing enough

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:16:04

accept it, right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:16:08

All those things you can write away, like, oh, it's a 1% er, dude, if you're playing 100 games, it should happen once. Like, obviously that's not exactly how it works, but like,

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:16:15

Yeah, no, yeah, like, and, I mean, there's, there's so many, like, 1 percent situations, like, something always happens, right? Like, that's that's kind of, kind of Pokemon, right? Like, especially the prize card mechanic, like, something

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:16:26

and also, if you ask someone, like, all the unacceptable scenarios, right? Like, if you said, like, you only lose when you prize Double Pidget, right? That's your only loss condition. That, that is a 1% er. But if you start adding up all the different things that are loss conditions, like, oh, Heavy Ball plus X Attacker, Two Candy, Double Pidget, Double Energy, and you add up all the loss conditions. I bet it's like 20 percent or like 15 percent of games.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:16:49

Dude, yeah, it's, that's like the biggest issue with Pidgeot, is like, even when you're trying to protect for prizing, you just have all these, like, doomsday scenarios, and you can never fix it. Like, every other deck, like, you know, Zard, Double Prize Pidgeot, you just like, you still have some win percentage on those games, right, where you just like, you raw rip Candy Zard, and then you rip the Pidgeot on the first one, opponent misses Iono, and you're just like, you're going, right. But. Yeah, like Pidgeot, like you basically, there's definitely some games where you just like look at your prize and you're like, oh, I just lose now.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:17:21

No worries. Oh, well, it won't happen too often.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:17:25

Yeah, no, and like, I mean, it's, especially with Heavy Ball, this is definitely something that you can, you can work to mitigate,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:17:32

I treat all my basics like they just can't be prized and then I'll prize heavy ball and the basic and I'm like, oh, oops.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:17:39

yeah, it's the

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:17:40

Or you prize two basics and you're like, oh no.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:17:43

why I like the Alekki in Zart, or in Pidgeot, is like, I feel like it lets me, it lets me have confidence that I will have, like, infinite resources, technically, while not having to play, like, double Silene. Like, playing the Silene and then having it prized, like, you're like, it doesn't even feel that bad, that's why I don't like Silene.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:18:03

It doesn't feel bad to prize it, but it feels bad to not have it ever. There are, I think you're like underrating

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:18:08

yeah, I, that's, that's actually a really good way to put it, yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:18:12

The fact that you don't play it at all, and you'll have it in 0 percent of games is crazy. But yes, when you prize it, there's a lot of games you don't use it, but when you use that card, like, let's say you prize, like, Double Candy, and you just get to put one back on top, it's so good. I don't know.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:18:27

Yeah. I, like, I, I buy that, but that, that's at least what the reasoning for Alekki for me is, like, it's like Silene, except I can head you all for it. Like, at least it, like, hits, like, kind of the

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:18:38

I can't remember. Like it's, it's hard to like really remember the origin of these things, but like, I remember the whole time I was playing Alec Ard, I was like, dude, I hate using CZ. Like, I hate when I'm having to actually

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:18:48

Yeah.

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:18:48

with ard. Like, I like this alecky pigeon plan. And then like, I don't know if you came to me first, or like I told you, I was like, dude, what if I don't remember like the origin, but like. The idea of just being like, let's just cut these shit Zard cards, and like, just play Alekki and standard Pidgey, and like, the Alekki has been game breaking. The Alekki is game breaking, bro. That is like the best card in the whole deck. It's

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:19:10

Dude, I, yeah, I cannot, I cannot believe there are Pidgeottlists that aren't playing Alekki. Like, when your opponent has six prizes, that is, like, the best card to be in. You just sit there with the Airy, bro. Like, yeah, I know, it's like, it's like, you know, it's tanky. And, like, if you just, like, you get back everything, bro, when

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:19:29

only thing I don't like about it, and this is a big flaw, why does it have three retreat costs? The fact you can't you have to support her out of it, makes it a little uncomfortable sometimes. I will admit.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:19:41

Yeah, dude, that's why I like the,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:19:42

The Jett. It's my

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:19:44

Yeah, the jet, the, the Jet's really good with

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:19:47

61st card and every iteration I've looked at it, it's like my 61st card. But it's like not true, because when I cut something I don't just instantly slot the Jett in. It's probably like my

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:19:53

I know because it, it's a car that you, you like, you really want, but like you just have to like kind of accept that you lose a turn sometimes, right? Like,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:20:02

You know what's hilarious? Against Piper, she was playing Jett, and I actually didn't account for Jett, and I, I got mad at myself because I misplayed, I thought I misplayed, but then I used Eerie, instead of, I was supposed to like, boss, she, I thought she misplayed, so I was supposed to use boss, because then

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:20:15

oh, do you some bot

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:20:17

yeah, yeah, I was supposed to, basically she got the one card in deck, and I was like, oh, she's stupid, like, if I boss, she can't go into Chi Yu and Yelch here. So, I was like, but then I like, didn't, I like, I fucking spazzed out, and I just used Eerie instead. And then I looked at her head, I saw the jet, and I was like, wow, I almost just lost the whole game on the

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:20:35

got

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:20:35

Hahaha.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:20:39

That's hilarious, bro. All,

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:20:43

Alright.

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:20:44

I think, I think we'll leave it here for today though. We, we've been going for way longer than normal, but you know, I heard people have long drives to, to NAIC, so Yeah. The John Paul's

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:20:54

feel like we, it feels like we just started. Lowkey, I got another hour and a

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:20:57

Yeah. Yeah. The, the is crazy. Haven't, haven't an episode this long and only two people. And that's

squadcaster-86i7_1_06-04-2024_151836: 1:21:06

We

squadcaster-eg55_1_06-04-2024_181834: 1:21:07

work here. I, I hope everyone enjoyed. All right.